Waning Half Moon enters Leo

"I'm one with the Goddess
and open to Her Wisdom."

24th Day of the 11th Lunar Cycle
Ruled by Medusa
Lunar Tree Cycle of Gort/Ivy
21st Day of the Celtic Tree
Month of Gort/Ivy
Moon Phase: waning Half Moon
Moon rises:12:18AM EDST
Moon sets: 2:43PM EDST
Moon in Cancer v/c 5:44AM EDST
Moon enters the Fixed Fire Sign
of Leo 6:06AM EDST
Ceridwen's Cycle of the Moon
Lunar Meditation: The relief of problem's
dissolution.
Sun in Libra
Sunrise: 7:35AM EDST
Sunset: 6:34PM EDST
Solar Question for the Day: "What
motivates your lifestyle?"
Lughnasadh (Gwyl Awst) Quarter
of the Year
October 20th, 2011

Moon in Leo - The Moon in Leo illuminates our extroverted sides; we brim with generosity but can get stuck in our own perspective. This transit is a time: to shine,  express, dramatize, celebrate, create, appreciate, stage, reach out and be generous with our attention; watch assumptions and do not push the stubborn. During this moon transit we have the guts to be visible and bring culture to life. Dramatic happenings, especially concerning emotions, being the center of attention, exuberance, vitality and working with patriarchal issues are all hallmarks of the Leo Moon transit. It's high drama with moon in Leo as she steps out onto the stage to entertain us once again. You will probably want to act out the 'drama queen' part of yourself or just be romantic. This transit is a time of vital energy, affection and romance. Everyone is recognized for her particular Goddess within. Enjoy the warmth of kindness and generosity, excitement and exuberance, parties and celebrations. You will want to spend money during Leo.  It will be hard to recognize limits in a Leo moon transit. It is also a time for power issues to erupt. Who will be the center of attention? Ambition and independent leadership are important issues. Leo has great pride which is evident now. As the moon moves to Virgo, (Saturday morning), the ambitious energy of Leo becomes unassuming.  Moon in Leo is the best time to work magick involving authority, power over others, courage, fertility or childbirth. Healing rituals for ailments of the upper back, spine or heart are also done during this period of time.  Those born with a Leo Moon sign can fill a room with personality and make the most of any situation, but may need to learn to honor the quiet, the mundane or another's reality. 

Your Moon Sign:

     The Moon's placement at our birth describes our relation to our home soul, family and emotional lineage; it symbolizes our inner spiritual river and our lifetime mode of operation.  Your Moon sign describes the automatic, instinctual part of you. It 'reflects' the way you react when you aren't thinking, your knee-jerk responses, your habits, what makes you feel at home, your 'comfort zone'. It is also related to the body,  in the sense that the body reacts to our emotions and our sense of security or safety. So the Moon is connected to health, or the kinds of things we need to stay healthy, the therapies to which we respond, the food we like, and so on. The subconscious mind is linked to the Moon, our dreams and most importantly, our intuitions. Your Moon sign determines what sort of intuitions you have and how you are likely to register them and respond to them.
     The Moon sign is powerful in small children who are still at the very instinctual stage, and this is especially in evidence before they can talk clearly. For instance, a baby with Moon in Sagittarius may be fretful if it cannot stretch and kick, whereas one with Moon in Virgo may get quickly distressed if it is wet or dirty. A little on with Moon in Taurus may not be able to tolerate the slightest hunger pang. However, our Moon sign isn't something we 'grow out of' .  It is true that the influence of our Moon sign can become overlaid by other developing characteristics, but it is always there and continues to be in evidence in domestic situation with our family and close friends, or indeed at any time when we are relaxed or vulnerable.
   Our lunar nature is often playful and instinctual and we may have been taught to suppress it. However, if we are to be whole people in tune with our own needs and able to access the natural wisdom of our intuitions, we need to respect the Moon. Reconnection with our lunar natures can make us healthy, wealthy and wise!..... 

Thor's Day - Jupiter Day - the Day of Vision, Spiritual Insight and Expansion...

The Feast of Samhain -

    Because the climate of the seasons was once so difficult to predict, Samhain was a celebration of bounty but also a time of fear. No matter how much preparation was done, one could never be sure what was to come or whether the provisions for winter would be sufficient. Oftentimes, an early frost was interpreted as otherworldly spirits blighting the vegetation with their breath. This type of  'weather as omen' belief may have given rise to the notion of dead spirits cavorting about and faeries plotting to steal away human beings on Samhain night.

    In faerie lore, Samhain is the night of the 'wild hunt', a notorious and rambunctious ride when scores of faeries come racing out from within their hollow hills to wreak havoc throughout the towns. Meandering mortals avoided transversing near the sidhe, or fairy mounds out of fear of abduction. And if one did venture out during the wild hunt, it was only under the auspices of a protective charm, such as salt or iron. Turning one's clothing inside out was another way to protect against faerie mischief. Faerie lore claims that a stone with a natural hole through it, dry but found near water, would enable the wearer to enter the faerie realm and return from it unharmed. This type of amulet was also believed to protect horses from faerie mischief and theft.
   Perhaps it was the practice of wearing charms for protection that led Samhain to become a night for divination. Many different methods of divination were used by the Celts in order for young girls to learn the name of a future husband. Others sought to get a glimpse of the future and obtain information about a future occupation. Some of the techniques they used included burning nuts in the hearth fire and making assumptions based upon which nuts exploded and which did not; pouring molten lead into cool water, then  interpreting the shapes that formed in order to get clues about a future occupation; and the baking of soddag valloo, or 'dumb cakes', a Manx Gaelic custom involving cakes, which were baked directly on top of the embers of the fire. Eating the cake in silence was thought to encourage prophetic dreams in young women seeking to learn the identity of their future husbands, provided they left the room without turning their backs on the fire. Babies born on Samhain were thought to possess divinatory power and were often treated with special respect as well as fear.

    Samhain is also the time when rituals were held to honor the dead. Benevolent spirits were beckoned and tempted with favorite foods that they enjoyed during life. Malevolent spirits were banished and kept away. The origin of the Jack o' lantern is rooted in the belief of wandering spirits and ghosts. The lantern's glow was meant as a beacon for the spirits of the dearly departed, while the terrible faces carved therein were meant to frighten away any spirit with ill intentions.
[From The Wiccan Year by Judy Ann Nock]